In 1997, we unveiled a brand new production of Verdi's Rigoletto, designed by Michael Yeargan. Inspired by the surrealist paintings of Italian artist Giorgio de Chirico, the sets shine most because of their simplicity. The colors are bold, the lines are crisp and the lighting is daring. The costumes, designed by Constance Hoffman, are whimsical and classic, bringing these larger-than-life characters their own highly distinct personalities. While many of our 2012-13 Season productions feature brand new sets or bring a production to the Bay Area for the first time, Rigoletto is a revival of this favorite production. These sets and costumes have been presented at the War Memorial Opera House in three previous seasons, and due to double casting, by no less than six distinct casts. Take a walk down memory lane with us as we remember some of our past Rigolettos, Dukes and Gildas.

Arturo Chacón-Cruz is currently with us singing The Duke of Mantua in one of our two casts of Verdi's Rigoletto. While this is his mainstage debut at San Francisco Opera, the Mexican tenor is no stranger to our stage--he was a Merola Opera Program participant in 2002! Of his debut on September 8, the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: "[Chacón-Cruz] stepped into the role for a company debut of enormous grace, charisma and stamina. Here, clearly, is a singer of major promise." The young tenor sat down to answer our questions about singing the Duke, his love of San Francisco and making opera accessible to the public.

On Sunday, August 19, The San Francisco Opera Orchestra, along with a group of Adler Fellows, joined soprano Leah Crocetto and tenor Michael Fabiano to present a concert of arias and duets at the Stern Grove Festival. Our annual concert at Stern Grove is always a favorite of bay area crowds, but this one was even more special since Stern Grove is celebrating their 75th Anniversary. The concert was a great success and a fun afternoon for everyone involved. Take a look at a selection of photos from the event and you'll see what we mean. All photos by Scott Wall.

Have you seen the August issue of Opera News? The cover story is called “Opera’s Next Wave: The Voices and Faces of the Future.” It’s a great article, and well worth reading while it’s still out on newsstands. Here at San Francisco Opera, we couldn’t help but swell with pride at how many familiar faces graced the pages of this article. Quite a good number of these up and coming opera stars have performed on the War Memorial Opera House stage in the last several years or are scheduled to make debuts in the near future. Which of these fine young musicians, which Opera News predicts will “break out and become major forces in the field in the coming decade,” have we brought to Bay Area audiences lately? Allow us a trip down memory lane. [Left: Luca Pisaroni in The Marriage of Figaro]

And this is no run of the mill, 8 week and then you are done, showmance. This one will go the distance. The difficulty of this showmance is that it involves more than one artist and I am afraid that when Nixon in Chinafinishes its run here in San Francisco, I may be thrown into a fit of post-show depression that I can’t climb out of.

Introduction

Backstage at San Francisco Opera is a fascinating, fast-moving, mysterious and sacred space for the Company’s singers, musicians, dancers, technicians and production crews. Musical and staging rehearsals are on-going, scenery is loaded in and taken out, lighting cues are set, costumes and wigs are moved around and everything is made ready to receive the audience. From the principal singers, chorus and orchestra musicians to the creative teams for each opera, in addition to the many talented folks who don’t take a bow on stage, this blog offers unique insight, both thought-provoking and light-hearted, into the life backstage at San Francisco Opera.